Familiar? No FATE
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: Maliver. Part AU. In order to help River, Mal and Simon agree to undo their past. What if River didnt go to the academy? Plays a bit in the angel Whedonverse, but not enough to confuse non-Angel fans.
1. Chapter 1

_Not again,_ he thought somberly as he sat beside her in the infirmary. He took her hand gently as if it was made of glass. _How can she be so gorram strong and so gorram fragile at the same damn time?_

She was sleeping, but not by choice. By drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. She was so peaceful when she slept. It was all just a big contradiction his mind. She was the toughest woman he knew, but the most delicate. She was sometimes so distraught when she was awake, but as she slept she was calm. She was his calm, and when she was like this it broke his heart again and again.

He lovingly stroked her cheek like it would make the dried trail of tears disappear and heal her inside and out. On the outside he seemed withdrawn. A little sad. A little upset. But on the inside…on the inside, he was dying. His heart was ripped from his chest and with every fiber of being he cursed the bastards that made her like this.

"Cap'in…" Kaylee said timidly. Mal didn't even look in her direction. He continued to start at his darlin', his sweetheart, his everything.

"What is it?" his voice was quiet like he'd wake her although they both knew that she'd be out for hours.

"We've got some dinner ready and-"

"No thanks, mei mei."

"But you gotta keep your strength up after everythin'!" she argued.

"I don't think I got much of that left anyhow…" he choked. Kaylee's heart broke for him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. She was about to spew her usual optimism, but stopped short when she saw something in her captain's eyes. Unshed tears. The captain _never_ cried. Not at the funeral for their fallen friends, not when Inara broke his heart for the second time, not when they got word that a few of his old war buddies died, never. He was always the strong one. He'd get angry and break things or drink, but crying was one thing he _**did not **_do.

Kaylee patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and left without another word. He didn't let the tears fall. He knew better than that. However, the stinging his eyes remained.

"Why River? Why?" he asked as he stroked her long hair. He tried to forget about what she had done _this_ time, but it couldn't be forgotten.

********

It had been two years since Miranda. Inara left two days after they left Mr. Universe's moon. He had tried to convince her to stay, but he saw the ghosts of Reavers in her eyes along with Book and Wash. She needed to get away. To heal. That meant getting as far away from the reminder of them as possible. She told him flat out that she couldn't guarantee anything. He told her that he didn't want to wait again. She said that was fine and they parted ways both a little broken. But then there was River.

He was surprised at how quickly he fell in love with her. It wasn't that quiet simmering love that was always just below the surface. It wasn't that hot boiling love like hot water in a tea kettle. It was some crazy mix of the two. It was always there and always burning with intensity that he couldn't rightly comprehend and neither could she, even with all of her science and math.

It just happened one day. It all started with a kiss. That was it. One little accidental kiss. They had been planet-side and he let her wear his coat. The weather was chilly and drizzly. The girl was in one of her sleeveless dresses as usual. One of her thinner ones too. He didn't want her to get sick, so he wrapped it around her tiny form. They had been friends since they started spending time together flying and had grown quite comfortable with each other.

"Thank you, Captain" she had said in a very sweet but matter of fact way.

"Don't mention it, sweetheart."

She leaned on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned towards her and her lips landed on his. At first they were paralyzed. They just stood there with their mouths pressed together not really sure what to do. He felt just the slightest movement from her that felt like a kiss and he barely kissed back.

After that they were done for. That kiss stayed in their minds for a week. They weren't sure how to go on. Talk about it, not talk about it, forget it, acknowledge it…it was all too confusing. They had their differences, but oh well. So he talked to her about it. That didn't work. Their "talking" became a full out make out session with her straddling him on the pilot's seat. From there things escalated and it was love. Real love. Love like he had never felt before. She was his other half…_better_ half. She kept him in check, he kept her in check.

They went public with it after a week of sneaking around. Kaylee cheered, Zoe looked at them with a typical _"I don't think this is a good idea, Sir…but okay…"_ look, Simon was angry at first, but he saw the way they looked at each other and relented with a, "_At least he isn't Jayne_" comment. Jayne looked at the two of them, laughed, became silent, and then, "Damn…well…I bet the sex is good…but…ain't you two like thirty years apart?"

Mal and Simon were ready to punch him. River calmed them both down and then looked Jayne square in the fact verbalizing Mal's thought. "_Airlock, _Jayne." After that they had no problems.

They made each other happy. Each other better. Her bad days all but disappeared and her nightmares were a lot better because when she woke up, Mal was there to hold her and remind her that it was all okay. And it was. It was better than okay.

He's just lie there some nights and look at her. She was so beautiful and that wasn't just her outside. In and out. She was amazing. He was honestly surprised that he hadn't seen it sooner, but a certain Companion took up most of his time. Not to mention that she was only seventeen. Not that one year makes that big of difference, it just makes _legal._

********

He stayed beside her in the infirmary watching over her. He had done that before they were even together. She told him that once. _"You protected me." _Then she had paused and kissed him ever so gently before saying, _"You still do."_ And his heart melted like it did every time she spoke to him, touched him, looked at him…

She stirred in her sleep just a little bit. She was so full of drugs there was no way that she could wake just yet. It was a good thing too. As soon as she did the pain would be back. He cringed at the thought, just like he cringed every time he looked at her arms and chest. It was miracle she lived to be truthful.

She had taken a fork, something they rarely had because chopsticks were easier to carry and cheaper, and stabbed herself over and over again. This wasn't the first time that she had done something like this, only this time it was much worse.

He wanted to hold her and take away her pain. He had for sometime now, but then that one day…that one day changed it all. He looked at the wounds and tears formed his eyes again. It was _his_ fault that she had relapsed.

_I never shoulda gotten involved,_ he thought sadly. _That no shipboard romance rule was there for a reason, but I broke it and she's the one that's payin' for my mistake._

"Captain," Simon said cordially as he entered his infirmary. Mal shut his eyes quickly to keep the tears hidden.

"Hey Doc."

"How is she?"

"Sleepin'."

"Does she seem to be in any pain?"

"Not any visible pain."

Simon nodded. He was aware of that. This was breaking him just as much as it was breaking Mal. She had been so much better. What he saw had been promising. She didn't need medication. She had something far better, love. She had Mal. That's all that she needed. By the looks of it, she was all that he needed as well.

"It's not your fault," Simon said, seeing the guilt written all over Mal's face.

"Like hell it ain't."

"You were helping and-"

"The key word there is 'were'. Now I'm only hurtin' her."

He flashed back to that day two months ago.

********

_Two months earlier…_

It had been a nice day. The air was just right. Not too humid, not too dry, not too cold, not too thick. The sky was the perfect shade of blue and the grass looked especially green. There was a breeze that caught her hair _just _right from their hiding place behind a fence.

"You ready?" he whispered. She smiled at him. "Gorramit, don't smile when we're workin'!"

"Why not?" she asked.

"It distracts me and makes me all stupid!"

"Well you were already stupid before, so…" she smirked mischievously.

"Ha-ha."

"You _know_ that you love me."

"That I do."

"Mal, we're set…" Jayne's voice crackled in his earpiece.

"Okay. Go on in. We'll slip in through the back."

Two loud gunshots echoed. That was their cue. They leapt over the fence and ran to the back of the building.

They slipped in through the back door without a problem. Their target was the money hidden under the wood planks in the back room. Things went according to the plan until they got to the room. They assumed that the gunfire in the front would lure the guard on the door away, but it didn't. He drew his gun, but Mal killed him before he could get his finger anywhere near the trigger.

They got into the room and got the money. However, the death of the guard didn't go unnoticed and a bunch of other men were on them. Mal gave the bag of money to River and shoved her towards the door with a single word, "Run."

She started out with him following closely behind until he took a bullet meant for her. He collapsed in a puddle of blood. She dropped the money and grabbed his gun. The men were dead within seconds before they could even realize she had it. She dropped beside him, pushing on his bleeding chest with her small hand. She called for back up. Jayne had to carry him back to the mule where they rushed home.

He almost died and she almost died with him. Ever since it had been a downward spiral. First the nightmares returned every night. She'd wake up desperately reaching for Mal. He'd hold her close and try to quiet her fears, but after that it just got worse.

Whenever he returned home with a scratch or two she'd freak out. While he was gone she would freak out. It wasn't until he came back unscathed that she'd calm down. She'd be okay for a few days, but then she'd have an episode out of nowhere usually triggered by a nightmare. She also started to slip back into her broken metaphors.

No amount of assurance or medication could ease her and it was getting to the point that he couldn't help. Something had to be done, Simon and Mal both knew that, but they weren't sure as to what.

This time he had come home with a stab wound. A bad one. The blade hit an artery and Simon had to perform surgery. Luckily he had been just outside of the ship when it happened and Simon had been in the cargo bay, otherwise it could have been bad. While he was in surgery, she had taken the fork…he didn't want to finish that thought. He may be on the mend physically, but otherwise…

He found himself looking up at God, praying for the first time in years hoping that He could at least point him in the right direction. _I need to know where to go from here. Please just give me a sign. I know I ain't one to be in your good graces, but she has to be…I know it. _

He fell asleep beside her waiting for some kind of sign.


	2. Chapter 2

Simon watched Mal sleeping beside River. They certainly weren't a typical pair. They were something for sure. Playful, serious, loving, hateful, gentle, and vicious all at once. They had fights to end all fights since they were so similar. Simon had to fight the urge to laugh audibly when thinking back on one of their awful fights.

********

_"Say that to my face!" Mal bellowed, drawing everyone out of their bunks and to the kitchen._

_"I said that you're an insufferable chauvinistic idiot-child hundan that can't add two and two together correctly!"_

_"Well you're a spoiled pretentious egocentric bossy conceited brat!"_

_"Pretentious and conceited are the same idea!"_

_"See? There you go again! You drive me crazy! Nothin' I ever do is good enough!"_

_"I'm not the one that can't do anything right!"_

_"You take that back!"_

_"Only if you take what you said back!"_

_"Which part? The brat or the conceited part?"_

_"All of it! Starting with the 'controlling' part!"_

_"I NEVER SAID THAT!"_

_"YOU THOUGHT IT!"_

_"STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!"  
"MAYBE I LIKE READING YOUR THOUGHTS! MAYBE THAT'S A COMPLIMENT!"_

_"MAYBE I LIKE CONTROLLING BRATS!" _

_"You mean it?"_

_"I do. You should know if'n you're in my thoughts again!"_

_She smiled. "You're still insufferable."_

_"You're still pretentious."_

_"At least you know what that means."_

_He laughed. "True."_

_They kissed and then turned to everyone. "Nothin' to see here," he said while shooing them away with his hand._

********

"How long have you been standin' there?" Mal asked while rubbing his eyes.

"Not too long."

"What has you smirkin'?"

"Just thinking back…"

Simon examined the knife wound on Mal's throat to make sure the bleeding was still stopped and the suture was holding up alright. He was doing better, so Simon moved onto examining River.

"This can't go on," Mal said solemnly. Simon looked up, slightly surprised by the comment.

"What do you mean?"

"She's getting worse. We have to do somethin' to make her stop hurtin' like this."

"What would you suggest?"

"I don't rightly know…"

Silence fell over the two men. They both loved her more than anything else in the 'verse, but both didn't know what to do.

"You know that I love her," Mal began.

"I know that you do. And she loves you."

"I'm the reason she slipped back into psychosis-"

"Don't beat yourself up, Mal."

"How can I not? She's lyin' here in pain…"

"We can help her."

"We've been tryin'! It's been two months! How much longer can this go on 'fore it kills one or both of us?"

He had a point. Simon sighed. "I agree. Something has to be done."

"What do you suggest?"

"I don't know. It's always the worst when you aren't here or if you're hurt, but you can't always be with her and you can't avoid scratches in your line of work."

"What if I got out of this line of work?"

"It wouldn't solve the problem. She's become completely dependant on you. The fear of losing you would be the same no matter where you were. Besides, this is your home. It's her home too. She wouldn't want to leave."

"I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. Bein' with her is killin' her and bein' away from her is doin' the same thing…"

Simon nodded.

"I love her with everythin' I got, but a part of me wishes that we hadn't gotten into this relationship. It would have saved her a world of hurt…"

"If you asked her she wouldn't feel the same way."

"Well she ain't as smart as I thought she was."

Simon chuckled at Mal's weak attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'll keep thinking of something to do. Until we decide, I'm going to keep her on the medication. I think that given her injuries she's…" he stopped not wanting to make him feel any worse. "It'd be better if she stayed asleep. You should get some food or at least some fresh clothes. I'll stay with her."

Mal was about to protest, but his pang of hunger changed his mind. He gently kissed her before exiting to the kitchen.

Jayne was at the table sharpening his knife. He looked up at Mal and watched him get a bowl of protein.

"Damnit, you look like hell!" he commented. Mal shot him an evil glare before sitting down across from him.

"Sorry. I haven't exactly had time to get cleaned up," he snapped.

Jayne felt bad for him. He had something with River that he couldn't comprehend. Then again he rarely comprehended anything.

"What are ya gonna do?" he asked.

"I don't know. There really don't seem to be any real solution…"

"Guide."

"What?"

"A guide. Ya need a guide."

"A what…?"

"_Guide._ My mother believed in 'em 'cause her uncle once went to one with this problem. See, his girl was cheatin' on him with his best friend and his best friend was engaged to his sister and he didn't know what to do. So he went to this guide and everything worked out just shiny."

"What exactly does a 'guide' do?"

"They's s'pposed to have a link to…" he pointed to the ceiling.

"God?"

"Na…sorta…just like spirits 'n fate and all. They can fix things up no problem. You need one of them."

"Sounds like go se to me."

"My mother swears by 'em."

"That just makes it worse."

"Hey! I'm tellin' you that they're the real deal! They can solve any problem. They're all over the gorram place. All ya have to do is look 'em up on the cortex."

"I don't know, Jayne…"

"Just think on it."

"I will. Thanks I guess."

"No problem."

Mal finished eating in silence and got cleaned up before returning to the infirmary.

He sat back down beside her while Simon prepared her next dosage. Her eyes fluttered open, something that shouldn't have happened for another few hours, and started searching the room.

"Mal…" she said quietly. He took her hand.

"Hey there darlin'."

She looked up at him with relief. "You're…okay…"

"I wish I could say the same about my girl though…" he weakly grinned at her. She tried to smile, but only a ghost of one appeared on her lips.

"It hurts…"

"I know, sweetheart. Just shut your eyes and that doc brother of yours will make it go away."

"Had to…" she said answering the question in his mind. _Why'd you do it?_ He held her hand tighter. "You weren't…okay. I couldn't…" a few tears started to fall from her eyes. He kissed them away.

"Don't worry on that now. Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

He lightly kissed her forehead as Simon injected the medicine into her IV. She fell back asleep. Mal looked down at her with a sharp pain in his chest that he recognized as his heart twisting.

"I think I might know what to do," Mal said softly as he blinked back more unshed tears.

"What?"

"We need to find us a guide…"


	3. Chapter 3

They landed on Persephone for business purposes the next day. Mal explained to Simon what a guide was and he agreed that it was worth a shot. After searching the cortex, they found one in the slums of the docks. After their job was over, Simon and Mal left to meet with the guide.

"How much will this cost?" Simon asked as they walked.

"I don't know. Price wasn't there."

"What do you mean the price wasn't there? It's a business! It had to be _somewhere_!"

"Well it wasn't!"

"I hope we have enough…"

"_If_ we want him to fix things. He might be a hoax."

"Yes well, we'll see."

They walked up to the little shack and opened the door only to reveal steps down to a basement of some kind. They went down and the place was a mess. They found a bell and Simon rang it.

A large, horrifying creature emerged from the back. He had spikes, skulls, and a huge chin ring. Honestly he didn't look like a human. He looked like a demon from Earth-that-was stories. It…he…laughed at the looks on their faces.

"Relax guys! I just came from a costume party."

"Are you the guide?"

"Yeah. I'm Skip."

He extended his hand. Simon and Mal shook it a little reluctantly.

"What can I do for you two?" he asked as he raked a few things off of some wobbly chairs so they could sit down.

"Well-" before Mal could begin Skip started talking again.

"It's about a girl. Let me guess her name…Ocean? Stream? Lake? Pond? Marsh?"

"River," Simon corrected.

"Hey, I was close! Now let me see…you both love her…but not like that…which one's the family member?"

"I'm her brother."

"Okay, so there's a problem with her. She's gone wacko."

"I don't much like you callin' her that," Mal said through gritted teeth.

"Hey man, my bad. So she's hurting herself and losing it when he's gone," he pointed a finger at Mal.

"Yeah-"

"So don't leave!"

"Can't exactly do that," Mal snapped.

"Okay, okay. Take a chill pill man!"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"That's basically it exactly. How'd you know?" Simon asked.

"I have connections…" his eyes drifted upwards.

"So I've heard. What can you do to help us?" Mal asked.

"Well, we don't solve problems. We _prevent_ them from ever happening."

"You rewrite history?" Simon asked.

"Exactly. You're sharp!"

"That ain't possible," Mal scoffed.

"Yeah it is. Time is like a puddle. You drop a tiny little pebble in and the waters of change ripple through it. Hey…that was pretty deep! Ha. Anyway, we believe that some things are worth…dropping a pebble in so to speak."

"So all we have to do is change something in the past to prevent the future from being what it is?" Mal asked.

"That's the idea."

"What would we change?" Simon asked.

"Well I wouldn't get shot. Then she wouldn't have-"

"EEH! Wrong answer!" Skip exclaimed.

"What?" Simon and Mal asked together.

"You're going to get hurt eventually. Either way it would still happen."

"Okay so we just never get together. I don't kiss her and-"

"EEHHH!!!! Wrong again!"

"Stop doin' that!" Mal spat.

"Why not?" Simon asked calmly.

"Look, these two were going to get together eventually. Sexual tension like that…woo!"

Mal rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this. "Okay, then what _is_ the right answer?"

"We stop what set these events into motion in the first place."

"The Academy…you can stop her from going there?" Simon asked in awe.

"We sure can."

"But then we never would have met Mal or anyone else on Serenity…or anyone we have in the last three years…" Simon said quietly.

"That's right. You'd both still be on Osiris. You'd be a doctor, she'd have the life she should have had, and you're life would be much easier. Whoa…ho…hold up…I'm getting a reading here. Two men…a blonde in a tacky shirt and a preacher."

"Wash and Book," Mal provided.

"Yeah, they'd still be around and alive...well, for a bit longer anyway."

"What about Miranda?" Simon asked.

"It would still be covered up, but according to my sources another student could easily…and might…uncover that eventually anyway. Let me let you in on a little secret, fate has a way of working out. If something is meant to be, it will be."

"You're sayin' that River is meant to be on Osiris livin' the life she should have been able to live?" Mal asked.

"Ding! Right answer. I can rewrite her life. She'd never have gone to the Academy and I see a bright future for her."

"But you'd also be rewriting the lives of eight other people and more. We'd change everything and not necessarily for the better," Simon commented.

"You think too much. I can only guide. I can make this happen, but if I don't there's a good chance that she'll die sooner than she should. Besides, all of the pain and torture she went through would never happen. Woosh. Pain, Reaver nightmares, wacko crazy insane girl bye bye. Hello brilliant famous dancer and scientist!"

"But can we really sit here and say yes to changing everyone's lives?" Simon asked Mal.

"Wash and Book would be alive, you'd be the doctor you were meant to be, and she…she wouldn't hurt. She'd be okay. She'd be better than okay."

"Yes, but I never would have met you or Kaylee-"

"And I never would have met River. I know. But this is better for her. Right?" Mal asked Skip.

"Heck yeah."

"You can make this happen? You can really keep her from the Academy?" Mal asked.

"If they say so."

"They?"

He pointed upwards.

"How long until you know?"

"Hang on…"

He listened for a moment.

"Yeah. We can do it."

"What will it cost?" Mal asked.

"Mal! I don't know. I don't want her to be in pain, but we can't make this decision without her or the others!"

"What would she say?" Mal asked.

"No…"

"My point exactly. Zoe needs Wash. Jayne misses Book. Hell, I miss them both."

"But Kaylee!"

"Listen boys, I can't have you fighting all day."

"How much?" Mal repeated.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" they asked in unison.

"The price for this is paid for. We don't accept payment. We do what is right for the 'verse."

"And this is right?" Simon asked.

"It is," Skip nodded.

There was a pause.

"I need an answer," Skip chimed.

"Yes," Mal nodded. He waited for Simon.

"Fine. Yes."

"Great!" Skip said happily.

"Will we remember anything?" Simon asked.

"No. You will have no knowledge of Mal here, Serenity, or its crew. Same goes for you and the Tams."

"Can I ask a favor?" Mal asked quietly.

"Can you have an hour with her? Ah what the heck! Go. Go be with your loved ones. You'll have one hour from when you set foot on the ship before we turn back the clock."

"Thank you," Mal sighed.

"No problem boys. Have nice lives!"

They walked out together in silence. They weren't sure if they should believe him or not.

"Do you believe that he will change things?" Simon asked as they neared the ship.

"I don't rightly know. I just know that I'm not wastin' that hour."

"Me either."

"I know we haven't got along or nothin', but it was nice knowin' you."

"I feel the same, Mal. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"It's not like you'll remember it."

Simon managed a weak laugh. "That's very true."

They reached the ship. Simon knew where Mal would spend his hour, but he had more people to say goodbye to. Mal would know them, but he wouldn't. Zoe and Jayne weren't really sure why he was being so kind all of the sudden.

"What are ya gonna do? Kill yerself or somethin', 'cause you're actin' like this is the last time we're gonna see you!" Jayne cried.

"No, no…just felt like saying what I feel…"

Mal and Simon had decided that it would be better to keep it between them since they didn't want to spend their last hour with the crew angry at them.

"Kaylee," Simon called as he entered the engine room. She appeared covered in grease.

"Hey," she smiled. He'd miss that smile. No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't even remember it.

"Hey."

He kissed her long and hard. "I love you," he declared.

"I love you too."

They kissed again and he made love to her one last time.

_Meanwhile…_

Mal was sitting beside River holding her as tenderly as he could. He was relieved when her eyes opened. He had been afraid that he wouldn't get to talk to her before…if…things were changed.

"Hey there darlin'."

"Hi."

He wasted no time as he quickly captured her lips with his.

"What was that for?" she asked sleepily with a smile. His heart fluttered.

"I'm kinda sorta crazy about you. Haven't you gotten the memo?"

"I think it got lost in the mail."

He laughed. She felt his sadness and reached up, gently caressing his face although it hurt to do so.

"What's wrong?"

"I never got to see you dance."

"You will…one day."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He smiled at her and kissed her again, savoring each moment. "I love you, River."

"I love you too. What's…" she searched his eyes trying to find out what had him so upset. "Ten minutes?" she finally asked.

"It's how long Simon said it would take your medicine to kick in."

"Liar. You don't lie to a reader."

"I never was very bright."

"You are to me…"

"I thought that I was intolerable."

"_Insufferable_, and only sometimes. When you don't listen."

He laughed weakly. She smiled and adjusted into a more comfortable position in his lap. He stroked her hair gently.

"Do you have any regrets?" Mal whispered.

"It took too gorram long for us to finally kiss. Sexual tension was _unbearable._"

He laughed again and continued stroking her hair.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Only one."

"What is it?"

"That is for me to know and you to not know."

"Well put."

"Thank you. Now shut those gorgeous big brown eyes of yours and get some rest."

"Now look who's bossy."

"Now look who's _insufferable_."

She smirked and shut her eyes as he kissed her on the cheek. She fell asleep. He checked the time. One minute.

"My only regret…" he whispered in her ear. "Is never marryin' you."

Time ran out as the "pebble" dropped into the preverbal puddle and the ripples changed everything.


	4. Chapter 4

"Now step step step turn lift hold hold hold toss catch twirl leap twirl step spin catch release! FASTER!" Madam Krau shouted in her awful accent.

River rolled her eyes. She could be such an old prune!

"Tam! Don't roll your eyes at me!"

"Sorry Madam Krau."

"Say it like you mean it girl! Eliza would gladly take your spot!"

"_I'm sorry, Madam Krau._"

"Better. Now again this time faster and with more emotion!"

River turned to Brandon with a sigh. He nodded in acknowledgement and they started their dance over again.

They walked out of practice together like they did every day. River stopped to look up at the sign on the building. _The Osiris Dance Company._ What a dumb name. No imagination. A million different possibilities ran through her head for other names that better suit the dance troop.

"Calculating again?" Brandon asked.

"How do you always know?" she asked with a smile.

"You get this look in your eyes. It's very becoming, I assure you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, _McNeil!_" she teased.

"Ugh, I hate it when older ostentatious people call you by your surname!" he said with a disgusted look on his face.

"_Elderly pompous_ people," she corrected.

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about Madam Krau would you?" he asked.

She elbowed him playfully. He laughed and wrapped his arm around her smaller frame. He was at least seven inches taller than she was. Honestly it was amazing that they let him be a dancer with his unusual height. But he was a damn good one.

"Are you feeling Hunan's or Joe's Place today?" he asked as they crossed the busy street.

"Joe's. I want an ice planet."

"Then we'll get an ice planet."

"No, _I'll _get an ice planet. If you want one, you have to get your own."

"Ouch. I feel unloved."

"That isn't a true statement. I believe that you have calculated the numbers incorrectly and reached an inaccurate conclusion."

"I love it when you talk math," he smiled.

"I love you, Brandon McNeil."

"Does that mean that I get some of your ice planet?"

"Dream on."

********

_Somewhere across the 'verse at that exact same time…_

"How'd it go, Cap'in?" Kaylee inquired as they entered the cargo bay.

"We ain't bleedin'," he replied with a sigh.

"Wash is ready to take off soon as ya give the word," Kaylee added as he brushed past her. He waved to let her know that he heard her.

Zoe and Jayne moved by and Glenn followed. He smiled at Kaylee who embraced him happily. He had arrived on the boat two years back after the Reavers attacked Lilac. Mal let him into the mule and they made their escape. He had tried to stop the job, but Zoe knocked some sense into him. Ever since he had been on the boat and with Kaylee. Mal didn't approve at first, but Zoe talked to him and everything was okay.

"How'd it go?" she asked him.

"Good."

"Well that's shiny."

They walked off to the engine room hand in hand while Mal sat in the kitchen with a sigh.

"Sir," Zoe said as she entered the room. "Got a husband that needs a course."

"Persephone. Badger says he's got work for us."

Zoe nodded and left for the bridge. Mal hoped that Badger had something good.

********

_Back on Osiris…_

-_Bang-_

Simon looked up from his book to see River entering the apartment they shared.

"Hi," Simon called.

"Hi. I thought you would be at the hospital."

"I swapped days with Mike. Katherine and I are going out today."

"Oh _Katherine_," she smirked. He felt himself blushing. He hated when she did that.

"Where's Brandon?"

"He had to go to teach at the college again."

"Did he kiss you goodbye?"

"SIMON!"

"Payback," he laughed.

She sat her bag down and collapsed on their sofa with a sigh.

"How was rehearsal?"

"Madam Krau is an evil old woman that should decompose at an alarming rate at the bottom of a very deep and unsanitary ocean never to be discovered by any life form ever again."

"That great huh?"

"She calls everyone by their surname. _Tam, do you want Eliza to take your spot? Tam, apologize this instant! Tam, move your feet faster! Tam, more emotion!" _she mocked in a very accurate accent resembling Madam Krau's.

"Wow."

"I know! At least we'll be ready for the grand tour. You're coming to a few shows, right?"

"Of course, mei mei. If I could I'd be at every one."

"Do you think that Mom and Dad will come?"

"Only if it doesn't interfere with work or a dinner party…"

"I can't remember the last time they came to see me dance."

"You were twelve I think."

"That sounds like an accurate estimate."

Simon sat beside her. "I'm sorry about them."

"Don't be. They are who they are."

"Very well put. Do you have to go into work today?"

"Yes. I'm going in tonight."

"Do you really think that it's wise to work like you do? You dance every day from eight until two, you get three hours off, and then by five you're back in the lab!"

"I can handle it, Simon. Stop worrying. I'm close to finishing this set of calculations. I have to get them done before the tour."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Three weeks on Ariel, two on Hapi, one on Cautha, and one on Ru-Shou."

"That's a long time."

"It is."

"A lot of traveling…"

"It is."

"With Brandon…"

River shoved him just as there was a knock at the door. "_Katherine_ is probably here," she made a kissing motion with her mouth.

"Brat."

She laughed as he walked to the door.

********

_Persephone, four hours later._

"No," Mal said flatly.

"Aw come on Reynolds! The money is good…" Badger said with an ugly little grin.

"We are _not_ goin' to Ariel!"

"You 'aven't even 'eard the job!"

"Mal, money…" Jayne chimed from the back of the room.

"Fine. Speak your piece," Mal sighed. They were a bit strapped for cash.

"There's a very expensive piece of jewelry that the Osiris Dance Company is borrowin' for their shows on Ariel. It's an amber necklace with gold 'n diamonds. All you 'ave to do is sneak backstage and swipe it. You get fifty percent of the money I sell it for. Already got me ten perspective buyers."

"Sixty."

"You drive a 'ard bargain, but alright. You'll do it?"

"We will…" Mal said quietly. He hated the core, he hated Badger, but they needed the money.

"Excellent. Their shows start in a week. They're there for three every other night. If you got a chance, you should sit in and watch the show. Ballet is somethin' else."

"We'll be in touch," Mal said as he got up and walked out with his crew.

"Are you sure about this, Sir?"

"No."

"At least we get to see a ballet. I've never seen it before!" Glenn said happily.

"Kaylee is rubbin' off on you," Mal growled while they made the trek back to the ship.

********

_Osiris lab, the same time._

_98562411/72=1.368922375xE6. P=(p1, p2, …,pn) and Q=(q1,q2,…,qn) distance computed as (p1-q1)^2+(p2-q2)^2+…+(pn-qn)^2, square root…_

"River," Wanda the receptionist said, jolting River out of her mind and back to the world around her.

"Yes?" she asked as she quickly jotted down the equation.

"You have a wave from Mr. McNeil."

"Please tell him that I'll contact him later. I'm right in the middle of something."

"Yes ma'am."

Wanda hurried away while River continued writing down the equation for the new ships the company planned on making.

"What does it take to get my girlfriend to talk to me?" she turned around and Brandon was standing there with Wanda behind him looking like _"Sorry, I tried."_

"You know that I have to finish this before our tour."

"You know that we have dinner plans and this work can wait. You'll still be a genius tomorrow, but our reservation won't be."

"I can dispute such sound logic."

"Shall we, _Tam_?" he asked with a smirk.

"Watch it," she warned playfully as she shed her lab coat.

They went out to dinner at their favorite little restaurant.

"I can't wait to travel the 'verse. This place is getting old," River sighed.

"So will our show. We have to perform it for two months every other night."

"Ugh, _Madam Krau_. At least it isn't like she can get much older without dying."

He laughed. "You really hate her don't you?"

"_Tam, do you want me to send you back to coryphée? Tam, watch your balance. Tam, Tam, Tam…_I don't think that she believes that I deserve to dance with everyone in our troop."

"I think she does. She respects you enough to let you wear the amber necklace."

"_Tam, don't let it break or I will break both of your legs and give you cement shoes like in the old country!"_

He laughed harder. "That sounds like her."

"Just because I'm a bit younger doesn't mean that I don't deserve to be there. I graduated college before my seventeenth birthday with three degrees and designed my first ship by age eighteen. I think that I can handle dancing with you guys…"

"Oh yeah? Prove it," he smiled as a particularly upbeat song pumped through the speakers. He took her hand and pulled her over to the dance floor.

They started to dance. "Keep up, Brandon…" she warned while picking up tempo.

"Don't run me too ragged! I'm an old man!"

"Hardly," she snorted.

"What? Twenty-four isn't old to you?"

"You don't seem too old. You always have _energy_."

"Are you insinuating something?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"My my Miss! I do declare that you are a rutting tease."

"Less talking, darling. More dancing."

"Yes dear."

They dominated the tiny dance floor for another few songs.

"I could watch you dance all night," he smiled as she twirled around.

"What do you say that we go back to your place for a different kind of dancing?"

"I say yes please."

She smiled and they walked out after leaving enough money to cover the bill.


	5. Chapter 5

"_Hehehe._"

_-Thud-_

"Mmm."

Mal rolled his eyes as he walked past the engine room where Kaylee and no doubt Glenn were. He went through the kitchen were Jayne was alone with Vera and down towards his bunk.

"Enough talk, Husband."

"Work, work, work…all the time…"

Mal shook his head as the door to the bridge slammed shut. He didn't want to think about what his pilot was doing with his first mate. The same went for his mechanic and junior mercenary. Jayne had sort of taken Glenn under his large and armed arm.

He sat down on his bed and started to take off his boots. He got a strange feeling in his gut. He sometimes got it when he was alone at night. It felt like something was missing or something didn't belong or maybe even a combination of the two.

Inara left over two years ago. He had heard from her once and that was it. They kept in touch with Shepherd, but he recently died from an epidemic on Haven that claimed half of the innocent people there. Even so, he felt like something else was bothering him…like someone else was missing.

********

_Ariel, around that same time…_

"Tam! Wave!" Madam Krau barked.

"Yes, Madam Krau."

River left the stage and went around back into her dressing room. She hit the button and-

"Simon!"

"Hi mei mei! Is it a bad time?"

"Not at all. You saved me from rehearsal."

"I'm glad that I could help. I wanted to let you know that I'll be dropping in tomorrow night."

"Great! Thank you so much for coming."

"Please, you're my sister. I'll always come see you dance."

"I love you Simon."

"I love you too. See you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

She cut the wave and went back out onto the stage.

"That was Simon, he's coming tomorrow night."

"That's great! I'm glad he can come out and see you," Brandon smiled.

"Tam, McNeil! Less fraternizing, more dancing!"

They waited until they were no longer facing her to roll their eyes.

********

_The next night._

"Does my makeup look alright? I think the lipstick is too red," River asked Brandon before they got ready to take the stage.

"You look beautiful, as always. That amber necklace really brings out your eyes."

She smiled and they took the stage. Simon was out in the audience watching.

"Are you sure this suit ain't too tight?" Jayne whispered as they moved to their seats in the back.

"Shut up and watch the show Jayne. Look for security and for the dancer wearing the necklace. We'll have to find their dressing room," Mal replied.

They sat down just as the lights dimmed and the dancers took the stage. One girl in particular caught Mal's eye. She was no doubt the female lead.

She had brunette hair, either black or brown he couldn't tell with the lighting, and fair skin. She was petite, agile. She had dark eyes. He could tell from their seats even though they were pretty far away. He could also tell that she was quite attractive. There was something about her that looked oddly familiar. And gorram, she could dance.

"That one has the necklace, Sir."

Zoe pointed to the same girl he had been watching intently through most of the show and yet he hadn't even noticed until she pointed it out. He nodded and figured it was because he was watching her face instead.

Jayne fell asleep. Zoe kept nudging him to wake him up. They waited until the end of the show to get up and try to sneak backstage. Luckily there wasn't much security and what security there was, Jayne took care of.

River went backstage with everyone else after the roar of applause had ended. Brandon picked her up and spun around in celebration like he did after every show. They kissed just briefly before Madam Krau interrupted the moment.

"Enough of that! Get out of costume and out of my life for the night. Go!"

River hugged him quickly and then rushed off to her tiny dressing room. She took the necklace off and put it in a special briefcase. She got all of the makeup off and into her normal clothes when the door flew open.

A man stood at the front with a taller man behind him to his left and a tall woman to his right. They didn't look like fans.

"Can I help you?" River asked timidly. Her voice sounded so familiar.

"We're lookin' for somethin'. A necklace. If you wouldn't mind handin' that to us and we'll be on our merry," the man in the front said. His voice sounded so familiar. Come to think of it, he looked familiar.

"I think not," she said evenly.

"Well in that case-"

The other door to the room that had been locked earlier was busted down and five men with guns stormed in. Mal instinctively reached out and grabbed the dancer, pushing her behind him as Jayne had time to draw one of his concealed weapons. The gunmen grabbed the case. A gunfight began. Mal picked the dancer up. She resisted.

"What do you think you're doing?" she cried as she thrashed about.

"Savin' your gorram life! Zoe, Jayne, MOVE!"

They darted out through the backstage. Zoe pulled the fire alarm and they ran.

Simon had just gone backstage after proving that he was indeed Dr. Simon Tam, River's older brother, when he saw the three people running by with River fighting like crazy. He darted after her.

"RIVER!"

"SIMON?"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"I HAVE NO HYPOTHESIS AT THIS TIME!"

He followed them out only to be met with more gunfire. Now the gun men were after them all. Mal would have left the girl behind, but somewhere deep down he felt like he had to protect her. They climbed onto the mule with Simon in pursuit. He jumped onto a nearby hover-bike and followed the people that took River.

They got to Serenity and away from the gunmen. They had finally given up. Simon drove into the cargo bay after them.

"Who are you and why are you trying to kidnap my sister?" Simon bellowed.

"Whoa, kidnap? We just saved her life!" Mal countered.

"What was that?" Simon asked no one in particular, still shouting.

"I don't know!" Mal cried.

"Back to the who the hell are you part, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Simon asked while River stood beside him.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds. And you are?"

"Dr. Simon Tam."

"Why did you take me?" the dancer asked.

"You were gettin' shot at. Have any idea as to why that is?"

"I don't have any idea whatsoever. What were you doing in my dressing room?"

"I told you. We were there for the necklace."

"Thieves, I should have guessed…" she sighed.

"What is that s'pposed to mean, little one?"

"Little one?" she snorted.

"Answer the question!"

"I don't have to! I don't have to stand here and take your shouting! Simon, let's go."

Mal hit the button to close the ramp. "I think not. Now, where's the necklace?"

"I'm not going to tell you!" she shouted.

"Yeah, you are!"

"Really? Who are you to tell me what I will and will not do? You don't know anything about me!"

"You don't know me either but I saved your life back there and you owe me!"

"I owe you? That is laughable!"

"You do! I could of let you die back there more than once! Hell, I could of used you as a shield!"

"That doesn't mean that I owe you anything!"

"_Your life_!"

"Well I'm not telling you anything about the necklace."

She moved towards the station and he held down the button.

"You obviously don't know me. I know over one hundred different ways to open that ramp with ease. We are leaving whether you want us to or not."

"You're at my mercy here, darlin'."

"You need the information I possess, so you won't kill me. And if you kill him, I'll kill you. Cut your losses and let us leave without incident. It would be the best conclusion for all of us."

"Well you're a pretentious little thing!"

"I believe the term is 'genius,' now lower the ramp."

"I will not! I don't answer to you! You can't boss me around!"

"Watch me!"

"You're a self-important spoiled rich brat!"

"You're a hundan!"

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

By this time the entire crew had gathered around to hear their argument.

"Tell me where the gorram necklace is!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"River-" Simon began.

"Stay out of this Simon!"

"Yeah!" Mal agreed. They were both enjoying the argument way too much to let it end so quickly.

"Don't talk to my brother like that!"

"I just agreed with you!"

"So?"

"You're the one that said it!"

"But he's my brother! I can talk to him like that!"

"Oh that makes PERFECT sense!"

"DON'T PATRONIZE ME!"

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME!"

"I CAN SHOUT ALL I WANT!"

"NO YOU CAN'T!"

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

"I CAN! THIS IS MY BOAT AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE ON IT YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME!"

"I WANT OFF OF YOUR GORRAM BOAT!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU TALK!"

"FINE! I'LL TALK IF IT WILL SHUT YOU THE HELL UP AND ALLOW US TO LEAVE!"

"OKAY!"

"OKAY!"

Silence.

"Well…?" he asked.

"It was in a case."

"Small, square, brownish?" Jayne asked.

"Yes."

"Gorramit Mal! The other guys took it!"

"Took it?" Mal asked.

"Yeah!"

"Why did they keep shootin' at her then after they got it?" he asked.

No one answered.

"Can we leave now?" River asked.

"No."

"WHAT? WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE WE NEED THE NECKLACE AND THEY'RE AFTER YOU!"

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?"

"WE'LL USE YOU AS BAIT!"

"WHAT?"  
"STOP THE SHOUTING!" Wash finally exploded. "I have a headache!"

"Look, they won't stop 'till they get you…" Mal lowered his voice.

"Comforting. How would you know?" she shot back.

"I have a feelin'…"

"I don't trust feelings, Captain. I trust logic. If they were _petty_ thieves like you, they have what they came for."

"That might be it, but maybe not. We need you to get to them and get our necklace."

"And why would I help you?"

"We'll keep you from gettin' killed."

"I'll take my chances. Now can we go?"

Mal wanted to say no for some reason, but he didn't have any real cause to keep her there. He nodded and lowered the ramp. Simon and the dancer, River, Mal thought Simon had called her, left.

"If they come after you, we'll be here!" Mal called after her. She ignored him and they continued on their way.


	6. Chapter 6

"There you are!" Brandon exclaimed as they got back to the hall. He hugged her tightly. "I was worried."

"I'm okay."

"Where'd you go?"

"That's not important. What happened?"

"Someone broke into your dressing room and stole the necklace."

"Really?"

"Yes. I thought that they took you too."

"No I was out…with Simon…talking."

"Right. Simon? Is he still here?"

"Over there."

River motioned him over. He walked over and shook Brandon's hand.

"It's good to see you again," he smiled.

"Likewise. I'm glad that you could come out and see the show."

"Me too. It was very good."

A few Feds walked out. "Thanks. I'm going to go ask them about what happened."

He kissed River on the top of the head and walked over to them.

"Did you tell him about our adventure with the thieves?" Simon asked.

"No. I didn't want to worry him."

"I'm staying here a bit longer just to make sure everything is okay."

"You don't have to. That meng go se didn't know what he was talking about."

"You swear too much."

"Stupid shit is hardly swearing."

"Ha-ha."

"But really, you don't have to."

"I don't, but I will."

They exchanged smiles as Brandon walked back over.

"What did you find out?" River asked.

"Thieves. They weren't professional. We can still finish our run here though."

"That's good. Let's go back to the hotel. I'm tired."

"That's a great idea. Simon, it was pleasure as always."

"I can say the same, Brandon."

They nodded cordially and Brandon put his arm around her as they caught a cab back to their hotel.

She was standing in his room going through one of her bags.

"Lose something?" he inquired.

"I forgot something in my other bags. I'll be back."

"Why couldn't you just have officially gotten a room with me?"

"You know what _she'd_ say about 'fraternizing' during a run."

"You're right. You always are. Don't be too long."

"I won't."

She kissed him and went down the hall to her room. The door was half open. She opened the door further to discover that her room had been ransacked. All of her suitcases had been dumped, drawers had been ripped out and tossed across the room, and even the mattress had been destroyed. Maybe the meng go se idiot-child thief was right. She would have used the cortex, but the screen was broken. She went back into Brandon's room looking pale, even for her.

"What's wrong?"

"I…can't go into that. Do you still have that suitcase I gave you? The pink one?"

"Yes. It's safe in the closet. What's-"

"No time. I have to go somewhere. I'll be back. Don't wait up," she said as she grabbed her suitcase.

"But-"

She kissed him. "I love you. Trust me."

"Okay, but I'm going to keep worrying until you get back."

The door shut as she left. She went over to the nearest public cortex and looked for Simon. She found his hotel room and waved him.

"River, what's-"

"The thief was right."

"Captain Reynolds?"

"Yes, him. My hotel room has been ransacked. I think I know why. We have to go see him."

"Are you okay? Was anything-"

"I'm fine. They didn't get them. They're safe. We need to go see him."

"Captain Reynolds?"

"Yes, the stupid idiot-child."

"Why?"

"They need to find them, and I need them found. Meet me on the docks."

"Okay, but-"

She cut the wave and briskly walked out into the night air.

********

Mal sat in the kitchen being hammered by Jayne and Zoe with the dreaded, "What now?" question over and over again. He ignored them both while enjoying a mug of a coffee and whiskey combination.

"Sir?"

"I don't have anything to say, Zo. Or Jayne."

They sat in silence. He couldn't get over how familiar the dancer seemed or how much he enjoyed arguing with her. He should have made her stay.

"CAPTAIN!" someone shouted. He recognized her voice. He got up and sped to the cargo bay with the crew following closely behind.

"What the hell?" Mal growled as he saw her standing in the cargo bay with her brother. He stormed down to them and stood right in front of her with folded arms. Damnit, was he glad to see her.

"How'd you get on my boat?"

"My other occupation is designing ships. I know exactly how they work. This is a firefly, class code 03-k64. From there it was the simple matter of cracking the entry code."

"A girl designin' ships?" Mal asked with a smirk.

"You're not only an idiot-child, but a _chauvinistic_ idiot-child."

"Now tell me why you're on my boat."

"Maybe I won't. I don't like answering to you."

"Too damn bad, sweetheart."

"I'm _not_ your sweetheart."

"And I ain't a chauvinist!"

"You don't even know what that is!"

"Yes I do!"

"Oh really? What is it?"

"We're here because you were right," Simon interjected. River glared at him and so did Mal, but then he smiled at the words "you" and "right."

"What was I right about?"

"Tell him," Simon said.

"They broke into my hotel room and tore the place apart."

"What for?" Mal asked.

"They were looking for this," she gestured to her pink suitcase.

"Why would they want your pink little suitcase?" Mal laughed.

"Fine, we won't help you. Simon, let's go. Too bad, since that necklace isn't what they were after…" she turned to leave.

"Okay, wait."

She turned back around smiling. His breath got caught in his throat. "Yes?" she asked.

"You're here to help us?"

"Yes. I need them taken care of and you need your necklace. We can both achieve our goals if we go about this in tandem."

"I like the sound of that. Let's talk."

"Let's."

"Follow me."

"You sound like you're ordering me around again."

"Fine, would you please follow me?"

"That's better."

She walked past him with Simon following her. Mal shook his head and followed them. Oddly enough she knew exactly where to go. Everyone gathered around.

"As I said before, my other occupation is designing ships. I work for one of the foremost ship companies in the core. Needless to say, other companies don't appreciate that fact. I'm currently working on a new ship, a cruiser. If my formulas work out and we can back the design, it will be one of the fastest and agile ships created since the X304. The military along with other outlets are very interested in it, and we are being offered a lot of money to create it. I am one of the leading workers for my company and I've been offered a decent amount of money from various competitors to sell my plans."

"How much is 'decent'?" Mal asked. She glared at him for the interruption.

"Seven hundred million platinum…and that's the lowest."

"Whoa…"

"Yes. I am already in a ten year contract with AAI, Advanced Aerodynamics Incorporated. I cannot sell or give my plans, drawings, formulates, equations, and so forth to anyone. No one outside on AAI can see or even know anything about them. I finished the final equations before my tour began. Since AAI was broken into last month, I didn't want to leave them unattended. I brought them with me and they're in here."

"This is real educational, darlin', but how does this have anythin' to do with-"

"I was getting there!"

"Don't raise your voice at me!"

"Not again…" everyone agreed.

"I believe that someone that wants my work has followed me here to get it. This is my hypothesis: they broke into my hotel room while I was performing to get them. However, when they could not find them, they assumed that I had them with me at the hall. They broke into my dressing room and mistook the necklace's case for a briefcase containing the documents. They probably have just now discovered their mistake."

"So you're sayin' that they don't want the necklace, they want your papers?" Mal asked.

"Exactly. I suggest that we work together to find them at which point you'll take the necklace and I'll turn them into the authorities."

"Or we could jus' do a trade. Your papers for the necklace and you'd have no say," Mal suggested.

"I think not!"

"Mei mei," Simon began.

"Not now, Simon!"

"I'll be damned if I'm gonna have some tiny little dancer thing bossin' me 'round on my own gorram boat and insultin' me to boot!"

"Tiny little dancer thing?" she snorted.

"Bossy annoyin' tiny little dancer thing!"

"How can you stand there and judge me? We've known each other all of three hours and you're acting like you know everything about me!"

"You're doin' the same thing, sweetheart!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! I DON'T KNOW YOU!"

"WELL THAT'S GOTTA CHANGE!"

"What?"

He extended his hand. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds. This is my ship Serenity. I hate Feds, I steal, I shoot people, I'm a Browncoat, and I am not an idiot-child!"

She took it. "I'm River Tam. I hate the owner of my dance company, I draw, I don't shoot people, I'm a college graduate with three degrees, and I am _not_ your sweetheart."

Everyone watched, slightly confused at their exchange. The captain had a grin on his face, one that she mirrored almost exactly.

"Back to the problem at hand, Captain…"

"Yes. We'll work with you. We need that necklace."

"I need my documents to be kept safe."

"Then here's the plan: One of us will stay with you. The people will come back for you once they know that they got the necklace instead. When they show up, that person makes them say where the necklace is. After that, we tie them up and call the Feds. Then we're done."

"I concur, Captain. Simon will stay here with my documents."

"I will?" Simon asked.

"Yes you will," River's eyes had not left Mal's and their hands were still holding onto the other. "I will be with your captain, you will be with my brother like insurance. Just incase petty thieves can't be trusted or…tiny little dancer things with a surprisingly vast knowledge of how quickly it takes blood to drain the human body."

"Sounds fair to me. Zoe, boat's yours. Kaylee, keep the brother company. Jayne, Glenn you've got watch. Wash…......go play with your dinosaurs."

"Let's go."

"Let's."

"Simon."

She handed him the briefcase and then she walked out the door with Mal.


	7. Chapter 7

It was strange walking along side Malcolm Reynolds. It felt oddly comforting, safe, and familiar. He felt the same way about the ballerina named River Tam.

"Where'd you hide them 'fore? 'Cause obviously it was a smart hidin' spot if they didn't find it and they tore your room apart."

"It wasn't in my room. It was in Brandon's room."

Mal found himself silently hoping that Brandon was another brother or a gay best friend.

"Ah. Didn't think to look with him huh?"

"No. Madam Krau looks down upon relationships while touring and doesn't allow lovers to share rooms. So naturally I hid it with him."

He then found himself cursing. The gorram girl had a boyfriend. Damnit. Damnit all.

"Oh."

"Speaking of Brandon…" she stopped walking and got a strange look in her eyes like she was thinking. "What do I tell him? He doesn't know about all of this. I didn't want to worry him, but when I rushed off without saying where I was going and I appear with another man…"

"Not my problem."

"Of course not. You're just a petty thief vying for your precious necklace."

"Hey! Just 'cause we ain't on my boat doesn't mean that you can start insultin' me again!"

"Oh I'm sorry! Did I hurt your feelings?" she mocked with a lopsided smirk.

"I'll be glad when this is over! You're such a brat!"

"Brat? You're the brat!"

"Am not!"

"Ugh, you're insufferable!"

"I can't wait until I steal this ruttin' necklace and get away from the core and all the bossy little self-important people that inhabit it!"

"I can't wait until you leave and go as far away from here as possible! I hope you get devoured by cannibals!"

There was something about the way that she was looking at him in the moonlight. She was flushed and angry, but that cute kind of angry. She had a defiant _"Try to find a comeback" _look on her face. He got lost in those gorgeous big brown eyes of hers and had to fight the sudden urge to capture her pouty lips with his.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

She saw the way that he was staring at her. She shifted a bit under his cool blue gaze that felt all too similar to Brandon's. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that this firefly captain wanted to kiss her right then and there in a very ungentlemanly way. Problem was, she wouldn't have minded.

"Just thinkin' 'bout how much I can't wait to get away from you."

"That makes the both of us, Captain."

"You ain't my crew, darlin'. You can call me Mal."

"I'm not yours either. You can't call me sweetheart or darlin' or any other possessive nicknames that my _boyfriend_ would use on me."

"Demandin' aren't we?"

"UGH!"

She resumed walking towards her hotel. He smiled as he watched her glide gracefully away. He couldn't look away from her great little figure and perfect hair that fell captivatingly down her back and shoulders. He sighed and followed. She hated him. She had a boyfriend. She looked a mite younger than him. Yet something told him he had a shot.

********

"So…this is your home?" Simon asked Kaylee timidly as they sat on the couch and chair in the kitchen.

"Sure is. It's a shiny boat. I keep her flyin'."

"So you're the mechanic or the pilot?"

"Mechanic. Wash is the pilot. He's the one in the tacky shirt."

"HEY!" Wash called from the hallway.

Kaylee laughed. Simon thought that it was the prettiest laugh he had ever heard. She had a great smile too.

"So what do you do?"

"I'm a doctor. A surgeon actually."

"Wow. That's somethin'."

"It is."

"Do you live here?"

"No. I live with River on Osiris."

"Oh."

"For the record…she isn't usually like that."

"Like what?"

"She doesn't usually shout like that. She's stubborn, but sweet. I haven't seen her fight like that before."

"Oh honey don't worry," she patted his arm and they both felt sparks. "Cap'in does that to everyone."

He smiled and she smiled back, both lost in each other.

********

They reached the hotel.

"I'm in room 320. Wait there. I have to talk to Brandon."

"Talk right…"

"What are you insinuating?"

"I-"

"It's none of your business what we do!"

"I-"

"Just wait for me."

She turned on her heel and vanished down the hall. He was surprised that she didn't slap him. He sighed thinking, _I'll wait for sure darlin'…_

River went to Brandon's room and quietly opened the door. He had given her the other key. He was sitting up in bed reading. A look of relief crossed his face. He got out of bed and embraced her with a kiss.

"I was worried again."

"Sorry. I had to go see Simon."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I have to go back to my room. Madam Krau…"

"But that didn't stop you from staying before."

"You know that I aim to misbehave, but I'm just tired from today's events."

"You can just stay. We can sleep-"

She kissed him again signaling the end of the conversation. He nodded and watched her go, completely unaware that Malcolm Reynolds was in her room waiting for her.

She arrived while he was fixing the mattress. There was no telling how long it would take for the men to return. He looked up when the door opened with one hand hovering by his holster. It instantly returned to his side when he saw River.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi."

She entered the room looking absolutely stunning. He hadn't noticed how beautiful her skin was until they were in good lighting. The way she moved across the room mystified him completely. It was all sorts of peculiar, seeing as they had just met hours before but he was so gorram attracted to her it hurt…

She picked up on how he was looking at her. "_Born with a third-eye"_ Simon had said. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that he was undressing her with his eyes. She studied him more carefully. She hadn't noticed before, but he was rather nice-looking. His eyes caught her attention. Cool, steel blue with a hint of danger wrapped up in mystery.

"Now what?" she asked quietly as she crossed the room.

"We just have to wait. You should get some sleep. It's late," he commented.

"You can't order me around!"

"I wasn't tryin' to!"

"Well I'm not tired!"

"Well I didn't know that!"

"I have to pick up."

"I'll help."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They worked in silence and got the room back in order for the most part. They sat down on the couch with a space in between them once again in silence. It was comfortable silence, almost like they didn't need words.

"Have we met before today?" Mal asked. She was caught a bit off guard.

"I don't believe so. I have never left the core."

"Probably not then."

"Why?"

"You seem awful familiar like. It's just a feelin' I s'ppose. But I've come to listen to them…learned the hard way to…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. War'll do that to you. Learn all kinds of things 'bout yourself…the 'verse…"

She considered that for a moment and got that faraway look in her eyes. "But the things you learn might be untrue, based on faulty logic and fake logistics. War is the ultimate example of the dark nature of human beings. How can you learn anything that hasn't been tainted by the darkness? It's spread about, touching everything in war. People aren't all bad, regardless of what you may have seen or been through. Everyone has a darkness, but everyone has a light even if it's just a flicker…"

He took a second to digest what she said. It made sense, but the dancer had no idea what war was like.

"How can you judge? You're what, sixteen? You probably don't even remember the gorram war!"

"I'm nineteen, and yes I do!"

_Nineteen? Hey…that's legal…_he thought briefly before returning to yet another enjoyable argument.

"You go out and spend weeks in a filthy trench watchin' your friends die one by one and tell me that everyone has a light!"

"Both sides lost men. Think about what they thought about you! They thought the same about you!"

She had a point. Damnit, the dancer had a point! "But…"

"But…?"

She smiled at him. He was defeated.

"I learned to trust my feelin's all the same."

"Is that why you protected me?"

"What?"

"You protected me."

"I don't know…I just…yeah. That's why."

"Well…thank you…"

"Did you just thank me?"

"Yes, I did."

"Wow…"

"Don't act so surprised."

"Why not? I am!"

She rolled her eyes. They were both smiling. Somehow it just felt right.

"Ain't it strange?"

"Pardon?" River asked.

"The way that this is…I mean…don't it feel kind of…natural?"

"Come to think of it, it does."

"Sometimes I get this feelin' like something ain't right…something is outta place…"

"Me too."

"But it went away."

"It did."

"Why do you think that is?"

She smirked. "I can't quantify that."

"It must be a big damn conundrum if'n you can't figure it out."

"Are you complimenting me?"

"No…a compliment would be if I called your big brown eyes gorgeous."

Their eyes locked and their hearts pounded in response. She thought that he was quite pleasant when they weren't fighting. But when they were, she found him so rutting sexy.

They felt like they should kiss. It felt like the natural thing to do. So, they moved a little closer gravitating to the other one's lips. River pulled back and hopped up like she sat down on a tack.

"You know, Brandon has brown eyes…"

"Right…_Brandon_," Mal sighed. "So what does this 'Brandon' guy do for a livin' anyhow?"

"He's the male lead in the show."

"That guy you were dancin' with is him?" Mal asked, unable to hide his amusement.

"Yes, so?"

"A dancer, huh?"

"Men can be dancers!"

"Yeah…just never pegged straight ones to be the ones dancin' in tights…"

"You are such a chauvinist!"

"Okay, fine! Men can be dancers!"

"You don't mean it!"

"I do!"

"Liar!"

"I don't care if men wanna dance!"

"No, but you think it's funny!"

"How do you know?"

"I can tell!"

"Well I do! It's funny that he's a dancer! And he's freakishly tall, if he's the one I'm rememberin', and he looked a mite older than you!" _Not that the older than her matters, 'cause he was still younger than me by more years than I care to think on and yet I'm here wantin' to kiss her and thinkin' on other things when we've just met…_

"How dare you! You're attacking someone you've never even met! He's only a few inches taller than you and he's only five years older than me! How would you like it if I started attacking your girlfriend?"

"I don't have one!"

"You don't?"

"No!"

_Good,_ she thought to herself. Before the argument could continue, the door was kicked down. And before she could process what was going on, his arm was around her waist and he was pushing her to the floor.


	8. Chapter 8

She wasn't sure what the weirdest thing about the situation was. Men had broken in once again to come for her and that was weird in itself. Then there was the man that was with her and had shoved her to the ground. She felt like she had known him forever, yet they had just met.

He shoved her to the floor a bit harsher than he thought that he had. His arm was still around her waist and he had toppled over on top of her. He was staring down into those eyes and they both got the sensation that he belonged there.

"Stay down," he whispered. She nodded.

He pulled his gun out and stood up in a quick motion. There were three of them. They spotted him and started to fire. He was hit in the arm, but it wasn't a bullet. He ignored it and shot back. He took down one of them and continued shooting. Finally the others ran leaving the wounded man behind. River got up after they left and noticed the wound on his arm.

"You've been hit with a dart. Don't pull it out," she warned as she gingerly put her index finger and thumb on the tiny projectile. She pinched it and then flicked it with her free hand.

"Ouch!" he snapped as it flew out of his arm.

"It was filled with a sedative. If I didn't do that you would be out right now!"

"It still hurt!"

"Oh just suck it up!"

He scowled and then calmly walked over to the injured man.

"Hey there. Malcolm Reynolds. Say, I'm lookin' for a necklace. One that y'all took by accident. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?" he asked with a smile.

"If I knew I would tell you!"

"I don't much like liars," he shot back.

"We're only here for the documents. We have no set meeting place. It changes. The necklace would be with the others. Our job was to extract Ms. Tam since we have failed in retrieving the documents so we were going to take the source."

"Thanks for helpin' me out."

Mal punched his lights out and turned to River. "We have to go."

"But he's wounded!"

"Ah it's just in the shoulder. He'll live."

She sighed and they started heading back towards the ship.

It was late, or early, he wasn't sure which. The night air was frigid and crisp, the kind of air that burns your lungs, and the gorram dancer had failed to grab a coat on the way out. She was shivering and looking a mite miserable. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her.

She jumped at the sudden contact, but willingly pulled the coat tighter around her. She was about to make a snide comment like "_Right, try to be a gentleman" _or "_You're human, I'm surprised"_ but stopped in her tracks. She looked at him and managed, "Thank you, Captain."

"Don't mention it, sweetheart."

She was going to blow up for the usage of "Sweetheart" but once again stopped. She smiled and went to kiss him on the cheek for the surprisingly kind gesture, but he turned and their lips met. For a brief moment they kissed, but she pulled away and they hurried back to Serenity in silence.

********

"How long do you think they'll be gone?" Simon asked Kaylee.

"I don't know. Depends I s'ppose."

"I just want to thank you all, just in case River doesn't…"

"You don't have to thank us. We're jus' here doin' our job."

"Which is…stealing?"

"Crime."

"Ah."

"Smugglin', stealin' that sort of thing."

"I see. Do you…"

"Steal? Na. Sometimes I go on jobs, but I'm not one for that life. I'm jus' happy with my shiny girl here…" she patted the bulkhead with pride.

Simon smiled at her. She was something else. Shiny, as she would say. She had said that at least forty times in the last hour. He thought that it was cute…like her.

"What are you smilin' at?" she asked with a smile of her own.

"Nothing."

Around that time, they heard shouting coming from the cargo bay. River and Mal were back.

"SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU!" River shouted.

"IT'S A STUPID PLAN!"

"IT IS NOT!"

"YEAH IT IS!"

"YOUR PLAN IS JUST AS IDIOTIC!"

"IS NOT!"

"IS TOO!"

"Sir, welcome back…" Zoe interrupted.

"What happened?" Simon asked.

"They came for her. I got one of the guys to talk. They have no set place, but they're tryin' to take her to get the info she's got."

Everyone grew quiet.

"Plan? Do we have one?" Wash asked.

"Yeah, what he said…" Jayne agreed.

"I have one," River said. Mal glared at her, but she ignored it. "I let them take me. You'll follow, find where they are, take the necklace, knock them all out, and then I'll call the Feds. They'll come and arrest them for kidnapping me. I'll say that thieves came and stole the necklace, but were kind enough to help me out. You all escape and my problem is taken care of."

"Mei mei, I don't think that's a good plan."

"Thank you!" Mal exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"You'll be in danger," Simon explained.

"I'm a grown woman. I can handle myself."

"Still-"

"I have a plan too," Mal interrupted. It was River's turn to glare. "We use her as bait, but stop them 'fore they take her. We made the hundans take us to their little meetin' point and then we steal the necklace and call the Feds."

"That works," Glenn shrugged.

"They don't know where the meeting point is. It changes. They'd have to call in and they'd do that if I was with them," River argued.

"They'd also do it if my gun was pressed to their head, darlin'!" Mal countered.

"They might have a code word or something to signal that something is wrong. They could lead you to the wrong place and ambush you!"

"And if they took you, we could lose them and not be able to help you out!"

"You mean you might lose them and not find your necklace, right?" she asked.

"I…yeah exactly! That's what I meant! So it's done! You'll stay here with your brother in the passenger dorms until tomorrow mornin' when we can set up the bait."

She opened her mouth to argue but he was off towards his bunk. She followed.

"Captain!"

He ignored her and went down the ladder. She reopened the hatch and went down anyway.

"My plan is better," she snapped.

"No it ain't. Give me my gorram coat back!"

She took it off and threw it at him. He regretted asking her to take it off because he could see her skin and how perfectly her dress clung to her curves…

"I don't see why we have to go with your plan! It's almost exactly the same-"

"Yours has more risk."

"Of you not getting to the necklace?"

"Yeah…"

She heard it. She looked at him closely. "Earlier when I corrected you…you really are worried that you wouldn't be able to help me out aren't you?"

"No, that's not it!"

"Then what is it?"

"Like I said, the necklace."

"Malcolm Reynolds, you are the worst liar in the 'verse!"

"I am not!"

"You are!"

"Why'd you kiss me earlier?"

"What?"

"You kissed me."

"I was aiming for your cheek."

"Yeah but you landed on my mouth and then kissed me anyhow."

"An error. Don't change the subject!"

"Fine! I don't want you puttin' yourself in danger when there's no need, 'cause I'm a good guy like that!"

"I'm not a child! I can handle myself! I am sick and tired of men always trying to take care of-"

He didn't know what he was doing before it was too late. He had pulled her into a kiss, a real one, and she kissed back for a bit before shoving him very hard.

"What was that for?" she asked as she lifted her finger tips to her lips.

"I'm kinda sorta crazy about you. Haven't you gotten the memo?" he meant every word.

"I think it got lost in the mail," she said quietly.

He kissed her again and again she kissed back. This time it lasted a bit longer until once again she shoved him.

"I have a boyfriend. I love him very much."

"That's nice."

They were kissing again.

"No, _I have a boyfriend!_" she shoved him. "And we just met! And you're a lot older than me!"

"Yeah. That's all true."

"It is."

There was a pause.

"Back to the crazy about you part-" Mal started. He didn't have time to finish. She was kissing him again.

There was no going back after that. His suspenders, down. His shirt, off. His boots, off. His belt, off. His pants, down. Her dress, off. Her bra, off. Her panties, off. They fell onto his bed unable to stop the kissing.

"Captain, we shouldn't be doing this…" she whispered as he kissed her neck.

"Mhm, we shouldn't."

"Then why does it feel like we should be doing this?"

He stopped kissing her and looked deeply into her eyes like the answer would be there.

"I-"

She pulled him roughly towards her and kissed him with all her might. "Don't answer," she breathed against his mouth.

********

"You look a mite pale," Kaylee commented just after River had gone after the captain.

"Well, my sister is wanted by some unfriendly people and the plan to stop them involves putting her in danger…"

"Aw honey, don't worry. Cap'in will take great care of her. They'll get along just great after they stop arguin'. Funny, last time I saw him argue like that was with…" Kaylee stopped recalling Inara briefly. "Point is, he's a good man. I'm sure he and River will find a way to work things out."

She patted him on the arm, once again feeling sparks from both parties as she did so. They had no idea that they were "working things out" right then and in their very own way…

********

He pulled her closer to his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and traced one of his many scars.

"I'm a bad person. I just cheated on my boyfriend…and…"

"And what, darlin'?" he asked as he brushed some of her hair out of her face before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"And I don't regret it because this feels right."

"It does."

It felt like she was made to be tucked up against him. She fit perfectly in between his side and arm like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He kissed her on the cheek and then the other and then on the lips again.

"What am I going to tell him?" River sighed feeling so guilty and yet oddly comfortable at the same time.

"Don't rightly know. But I do know that I ain't lyin' when I say I'm crazy about you."

"More like I drive you crazy."

"Both. I love arguin' with you."

"Not as much as I do."

"No way."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Gorramit, you're too beautiful to argue with…and win anyhow."

"Complimenting me again are you?"

"Sure am."

She smirked and captured his mouth with her own again and for the first time in a long time they both felt like everything was the way it was supposed to be.


	9. Chapter 9

"Fine, we'll do it your way but only because you told me why you don't like my plan…" River sighed.

"Victory…it's a good feelin'!"

She playfully shoved him. She didn't want to get up, but she figured that she should before Simon came looking for her. He held her tighter when she tried to roll out of bed. She smirked and easily wiggled out of his grasp and started collecting her clothes, dancing about.

He got out of bed and she felt his arm curl around her waist as he took her hand and slowly danced a little.

"I ain't a dancer, but hey…" he twirled her and then caught her in his strong arms. "I can try."

She grinned and straightened her clothes before smoothing down some of his hair. Her hands went a little crazy…

She helped gather his things which had been tossed everywhere during their frantic undressing. They emerged together looking only slightly disheveled. Hopefully no one would notice. They all met in the kitchen.

"We've agreed to go with my plan," Mal began. He was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the cargo bay. They all followed him towards it.

_-Bang-_

Glenn looked down at his chest where a bullet had just lodged itself. He collapsed to the ground and Kaylee fell beside him. He was dead within seconds and the gunfire continued.

The men had followed them to Serenity and waited for backup. Once they had it, they went in to take the girl. Zoe, Jayne, and Mal unloaded on them while Simon pulled Kaylee and River out of the line of fire. Kaylee grabbed onto him like a terrified child and sobbed into his chest. He comfortingly stroked her hair.

Wash returned from the storage locker with a gun to help his wife in the fight, but he was hit. Zoe kneeled beside him and cradled him with one arm while shooting with the other.

"Hang in there, baby…"

"Simon, go help!" River cried. Simon let go of Kaylee and went to aid the blonde in the tacky shirt.

River watched the fight. These people were dying because of her. She stepped back out into the open with her hands up.

"STOP! I'LL COME WITH YOU!"

The fire stopped. Simon looked over at her with fear in his eyes. Mal had a similar look.

"Just stop shooting. These people have nothing to do with us," she said evenly.

"Get down here!" one of the men called. She nodded and went down to them.

"River!" Simon called.

"Help him," River snapped while pointing to Wash.

Mal waited until they were out of his ship to follow them. He ran after them as fast as he possibly could without being seen. They got into a cab and left. Mal broke into a speeder and followed them.

********

"We need to get him to the infirmary," Simon said. Zoe nodded and Jayne helped carry him.

They put him down on the table while Simon quickly rummaged through the drawers to figure out where everything was.

"Where is the thread?" he asked.

"Second drawer on your right," Zoe said calmly.

He grabbed what he needed and then put on some gloves.

"Can you feel a pulse?" Simon asked.

"Should I be able to?" Zoe countered while she pressed just a little bit harder on the wound.

"Yes."

"I don't feel anything."

Simon quickly grabbed a shot of adrenaline and stabbed it into the unconscious man's heart to get it beating again. He felt for a pulse. Nothing. He started chest compressions.

"Come on baby…" Zoe said softly.

Simon continued, but it was pointless if he didn't sew up the wound. He'd just keep losing blood.

"Switch places with me. Chest compressions."

Zoe nodded and started to perform them while Simon got to work sewing him up. He was able to close the wound, but he didn't feel a pulse. He pressed his bloody fingers to his neck and waited to feel something, _anything_. He didn't.

"I can't feel a pulse. It's been too long…I'm-"

"Don't say you're sorry to me. Wash, you have to fight. You have to come back."

She kept the CPR up for a few minutes.

"Do something!" she snapped.

"He lost a lot of blood…too much. There's nothing I can do."

"Go se!"

She kept fighting for her husband until Jayne put a hand on her shoulder and she finally gave up. She kissed him one last time and then left the room with no emotion on her face.

********

They went down to an abandoned house on the pier. He waited until they were inside to look inside the window. They tied her down to a chair and started talking to her. She shook her head and they hit her.

"Tell us the formula!"

"No!"

One of the men hit her across the face and then grabbed her by the back of her head.

"This is important, Ms. Tam. We need the formula."

"I'm not telling you!"

"Don't make me hit you again!"

She looked him right in the eyes with a smile. "No."

He raised his hand to hit her again when the door opened.

"Hey, is this a party? Why wasn't I invited?" he asked.

"Go away!" the man barked, assuming that he was some nosey neighbor.

"I think not," he drew his gun and shot him. He fell down. Mal shot everyone except for one man cowering in the corner.

"Could you do me a favor? There's this necklace that you stole by accident and I'd really like it," he smiled. The man nodded and pulled it out of a duffle bag. Mal took it from him and put it in his pocket.

"Thanks," he knocked him out with the back of his gun.

After that he ran to River and untied her. He gently cupped her chin and turned her face from side to side. No blood, but a few bruises.

"Are okay?" he asked.

"I am. Are you?"

"Just fine. Should we call the Feds?"

"You took care of them, Captain. I doubt they'll try to find me."

"Let's get out of here then."

They started walking back towards the speeder he "borrowed." They climbed in and went back towards the ship. It was a silent ride, both unsure of what to say to the other.

When they arrived they found out that Glenn was dead, and so was Wash. Mal covered them both up with blankets. They'd have a proper funeral once they got away from the core.

"Thank you for tryin'," Kaylee told Simon through tears. He nodded and hugged her tightly. She savored his touch and almost wished that he wouldn't leave.

"It was nice to have met you," he said softly. She agreed with a nod against his chest.

She pulled away with a faint smile. He smiled back and started down the ramp. Mal decided to accompany them to their hotels. He also just wanted to get the hell away from Serenity and his dead friends.

They dropped Simon off at his hotel before going back to hers. They hadn't spoken since they left the abandoned house. She wondered what he was thinking and vice versa. They finally reached the hotel and he decided to walk her in.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as they stood in the lobby. "About your crew."

"Everyone dies, darlin'. Just depends on when and how."

She saw through his tough exterior. He was hurting inside. So, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. His arms automatically wrapped around her. They didn't have to say anything in that moment. He kissed the top of her head and her big brown eyes looked up at him curiously.

"You're leaving" it wasn't a question or a statement. It was mix of the two.

"I am."

"Will I see you again?"

"Do you want to?"

"I do."

"I wanna see you again too."

They smiled at each other and without thinking about secrecy, Brandon's room was just down the hall, they kissed. This was one of their longer and more passionate kisses.

"I don't want you to go," she said softly.

"I don't wanna leave you…ever. Which is a mite odd. I've known you for what? A few hours now?"

"That's a rough estimate, but an accurate one."

He grinned and kissed her yet again. She gladly kissed back.

Something happened. She wasn't sure what, but it was like a light bulb going off inside her head. River backed away and looked around.

"Mal…where are we?"

He looked around slightly taken aback by the use of his first name. "Don't you remember? We're goin' to your hotel room."

"Hotel? Why aren't we on Serenity?"

Then it hit him too. He remembered everything. The cryo-box, Miranda, Mr. Universe, being with River, her meltdown with the fork, Skip, all of it. From the looks of it, she remembered too.

"Mal, what's going on?" she asked as she skimmed over his mind. "Dancer? Hotel? Brandon? Documents? Necklace?"

"Yeah, we're on Ariel. You're a dancer and a ship designer while I'm still a petty thief. We came to steal a necklace and ran into you. Don't you remember?"

Now that he mentioned it, she did. "Yes, but that makes no sense! Why would I be dancing here when I'm Serenity's pilot? I fly with you."

"Uh…" he scratched his head.

"Who's Skip?"

"He's a guide."

"Guide?"

She read the full story from his mind and hit him.

"OUCH!" he snapped.

"YOU MADE A DEAL TO REWRITE MY LIFE WITHOUT EVEN TELLING ME?"

"It was for the best!"

"NO IT WASN'T!"

"BUT I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO HURT ANYMORE!"

"Whoa, take the volume down folks!" Skip cried as he walked over to them. River leapt at the sight of him. "Costume convention again. Mal, you're coming with me."

Skip grabbed Mal's hand and they were gone.


	10. Chapter 10

"That was a lesson," Skip explained as he sat back down in his place.

"A lesson?" Mal asked.

"Yes a lesson."

"How was that even possible?"

"Look, I have connections to some very influential people. Let's just say that we worked it out."

"Why? Why would you even bother to teach me a lesson?"

"There's this thing called 'fate' Mal. You questioned it just like you questioned your faith. Now the faith I can't do much about. That's for you to work out with yourself, but fate…now that _is_ my business."

"I'm not followin' you Skip."

"People rarely do, man. Join the club. That's why I use one of these."

He held up a screen and held his hand out in front of it.

"Tada!"

"The screen is blank."

"Damn, okay hang on…this thing is always breaking on me…"

He fidgeted with it for a moment or two before an image appeared on the screen. It was of the cryo-box River was in when she first arrived on Serenity.

"Do you recognize this?" he asked.

"I do. It's the box River was in when she showed up on my ship."

"Ding! Right. That box with that girl was meant to be on your ship. Better yet…" he hit a button and a picture of Mal watching her sleep when she first arrived. "That girl was meant to be on your ship _with you_."

He hit another button and an image of the Black appeared. "Okay buddy, this is how it is. This is the 'verse. It has a balance." He drew a scale on the picture with his finger. "Things are supposed to be in harmony. When something is out of place, well it gets all messed up."

"Okay…" Mal said as he digested this bit of information.

"My job, and their job," he pointed to the ceiling once again. "It's to keep the 'verse in harmony. So when people like you show up and say something is wrong, we usually look into it. If it is wrong, which people have a vibe for that sort of thing, we put it right. But when you showed up…you were messed up."

"I was messed up?"

"Heck yeah man! Things were the way they were supposed to be! I had to prove that to you. You're too big of a player in this to let slip."

"You're sayin' that I have a big place the 'verse?"

"Dude, Miranda was huge! It's going to start all sorts of things! Without you and River, that wouldn't have happened." He made the scale tip.

"So she's s'pposed to hurt?"

"Na. That wasn't right. I'll give you that. We'll get there. Okay, let's review."

He hit a button and a picture of Mal meeting River backstage popped up.

"You didn't think that you were supposed to be with her, yet even in this 'verse you bump into her."

Another image, this time one of Mal lying awake at night.

"You knew that something didn't feel right until she showed up."

Next, a picture of them kissing.

"Even in that 'verse you were with her. Also…Simon and Kaylee were together."

An image of them hugging.

"Wash, dead. Glenn, dead."

Their pictures respectively.

"Inara, gone. Shepherd Book, also dead. Isn't that exactly like your other 'verse?"

"Yeah…"

"See? Fate has this odd way of working things out."

"She's my fate."

"Yeah."

"That wasn't a question."

"I knew that. I was just agreeing with you."

"Now what?"

"I set things back."

"But she'll be in pain again."

"Not if I set it back a bit further. You can prevent her from freaking her freak out."

"How?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret that has to do with your fate and hers. You're both going to die old, together, and after you have a bunch of kids and grandkids running around."

"Really?"

"Yeah man! Your life is going to be kick ass!"

"Thanks."

"No problem. It's what a guide does. Now go. You won't have any memories of this really. So it was nice to have met you. If you mess this up I'll find you."

"Okay."

Skip smiled and shook his hand before there was a bright flash of light and a scream.

_One month earlier, back in the right 'verse._

River screamed in her sleep and woke up with a jolt. Mal sat up beside her and instinctively pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest.

"Shh, it's okay darlin'. What's wrong?" he whispered as he stroked her hair and kissed her on the top of the head.

"Nightmare. You were bleeding…"

"It's okay. _I'm okay_."

"Might not be. Can't predict the future."

"I know that me gettin' shot back a month ago scared you half to death, but sweetheart I'm always gonna get scrapes. I'm a petty thief!"

"Not petty."

"Thanks. You need to forget about that. Nothin' is gonna kill me. Not yet."

"But-"

"Everyone dies, darlin'. Just depends on when and how. And we're gonna die old and together with a bunch of kids and grandkids."

"How can you know?"

"I just know."

She skimmed his thoughts and his certitude brought her comfort. She clung to him a bit tighter.

"I hope so, Mal."

"I know so."

He brushed some of her hair back and she pulled away to look up at him. He got an idea.

"I know this is spur of the moment I don't have anything to make it official yet, but will you marry me?"

"You know I will."

They kissed and a loud bang startled them. They weren't worried though because they knew the source.

"Simon and Kaylee need to stop being so loud while they're…'together'," River sighed.

"Ah I imagine we might get a bit loud…"

"Oh? Want to test that theory?"

"Yes I do."

She smiled at him and pushed him down playfully. And that night, everything was right in the 'verse and Malcolm Reynolds fell in love with his fate all over again.

**The end**

_Thanks for reading! Those of you who are Angel fans recognized the character "Skip" more like he was in season three than he was in four. I had fun with this and I hope that it wasn't too weird. Glenn is the name of the actor that played the man that tried to board the mule during the Reaver attack, so I figured that would be his character name too. Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!_


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